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Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Stresa, Lago Maggiore, and Isola del Pescatore: Northern Italy at its Best
You know that feeling when you're on vacation and you find someplace so magical, you fall instantly, supremely in love? You start looking at real estate, not whimsically but pragmatically, because you simply refuse to leave. All these fantasies flood in about how you’ll fix up an old house and make bread from scratch and write best sellers like “Under the Tuscan Sun”.
Take the 40 mile train ride from Milan to Stresa and you’ll know exactly what I mean.
Pulling out of Milan is harshly reminiscent of riding a PATH train through Jersey City while pulling into Stresa is like arriving on an Italian Great Gatsby set, complete with snow capped Alps in the distance. Hemingway set part of “Farewell to Arms” in the Grand Hotel des Iles Borromees in Stresa and everywhere you look, sweeping drama surrounds you. You can practically smell the history of the town seeping up from the cobblestone streets. Situated at the Swiss/Italian border on Lago Maggiore, Stresa is the gateway to Isola Bella, Isola del Pescatore, and Isola Madre. Water taxis and ferries shuttle visitors to and from the islands, launching off to provide a miraculous view of Stresa, a town that seems so perfect, you wonder if people spontaneously burst into Rodgers and Hammerstein song and Jerome Robbins choreographed dance.
I had the pleasure of staying on Isola del Pescatore, the Fisherman’s Island, an island merely a quarter mile around that was a Medieval fishing village. We checked into the one hotel on the island, Verbano, where every room is named after a flower, and settled into a large, comfortable room over looking the Lake and Alps. I noticed a small dilapidated dock just below our room so I went to investigate.
Isola del Pescatore’s moss lined alleyways are barely wide enough for a grown person to squeeze through. Windows, thrown open without care, fill the alley with the sounds and smells of families preparing meals and rehashing the day. As I made my way to the water’s edge, an elderly fisherman, fishing pole flung over his shoulder, catch in hand, made his way past me with a “Buona sera”. Like the pied piper, behind him marched no less than 30 cats, all sired by the same few males because all 30 cats looked exactly the same with only 3 or 4 variations. This tiny island in the middle of a grandiosely named lake (Maggiore means major) has been distilled in time the same way Stresa has. It’s all very romantic and enchanting; enveloping you into a world that feels part movie set, part time capsule and wholly magical.
Hotel Verbano
Via Ugo Ara 2, 28838 - Isola dei Pescatori Stresa
Tel. 0323.30408 - 32534
Fax 0323.33129
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Mine
Once in a great while you are lucky enough to truly love someone or something and have that love reciprocated.
My cat, Fawn, who I called "Mine", slept under the covers with me every night. She purred like a freight train and used to meow so loudly that a friend staying at my parent's home thought we needed to call child protective services because there was a kid being beaten. She was a huge heart wrapped in fur and I loved her beyond words. Today she passed away at the age of 16 (112 in cat years). I had my father record a bit of video of her a few days ago. It doesn't begin to do her justice because you can't feel her radiating warmth, vibrating with elated purr, wrapping one warm paw around you as if to say, "I love you too".
She was, and will continue to be, my greatest happiness. I already miss her dearly.
My heart.
Mine
Sunday, January 20, 2008
My Friend Ana who loves Chocolate Cake but not Frosting
I've been broke lately. So broke, in fact, that eating out has become a thing of the past (at least for this month). The phrase: "Eat to live, don't live to eat", one I've always loathed or scoffed at, has become my new mantra. I hate this mantra! Food is my life, my happiness, my essence. I was just beginning to forget how wonderful and joyful it once made me feel and then…
My friend Ana turned 30.
As I had no money to buy her a present, I offered to make her a cake. She told me she wanted something chocolate but no frosting. She doesn't like frosting, "It just gets in the way," she said. So I set off to create the Best (and most cost efficient) Chocolate, No Frosting Cake I could muster. Nigella Lawson published a brilliant flourless chocolate cake recipe in the New York Times Magazine several years ago as a Passover dessert. It was The hit of our seder when I made it then and I remembered it had only a few ingredients. It would be perfect.
But I couldn't find the recipe anywhere. It's not in "Domestic Goddess", I couldn't find it in the NY Times archive, it was a phantom. I finally dug it up on a random Google search (about five pages in) and any fellow hunters will find it below. For Ana's birthday, I decorated the sunken top with fresh raspberries (at her request and surprisingly tasty despite the winter month) and heaping dollops of whipped cream.
As I looked around at the faces of my friends digging their forks into the dense, fallen chocolate cake soothed by a mound of cool, vanilla laced whipped cream and the burst of a fresh berry, I was reminded of two things:
1. You can feed yourself divinely even on the cheap.
2. No matter how bad things get, cake will always make it better.
To Ana, Nigella and anyone who refuses to eat Ramen.
p.s. Please pardon our matching striped shirts in the photo. That was NOT intentional.
How to make Nigella Lawson's Flourless Chocolate Cake Part One
Ingredients:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
6 eggs: 2 whole, 4 separated
3/4 cup superfine sugar
grated zest of 1 orange (optional)
9 inch springform cake pan
2. Line the bottom of the cake pan with baking parchment. Cut away any excess paper otherwise it'll smoke in the oven and the smell is gross.
3. Melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or a microwave, add orange zest and then let the butter melt in the warm chocolate.
How to make Nigella Lawson's Flourless Chocolate Cake Part Two
Separate eggs into two bowls.
Beat the 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with 1/3 cup of the sugar, then gently add the chocolate mixture, tempering first (tempering means you add a little of the warm mixture to the cooler mixture to raise its temperature and prevent it from curdling as you add the rest of the warm mixture).
In another bowl, whisk the 4 egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the remaining sugar
How to make Nigella Lawson's Flourless Chocolate Cake Part 3
Beat egg whites until stiff and shiny, you should be able to hold the bowl upside down for at least five seconds.
Lighten the chocolate mixture with a dollop of egg whites, and then fold in the rest of the whites.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake is risen and cracked and the center is no longer wobbly.
Cool the cake in its pan on a wire rack; the middle will sink as it cools.
Ciudad's Sunday Tapas are Mindblowing
Perfection.
It’s a word we don’t use often outside of being hyperbolic. An experience that offers perfection is rare, generally occurring without warning or time for emotional preparation. The other night, due to some sublime good fortune, my parents and I had a brush with perfection. It was unexpected, though quite welcome, and it had a name: Tapas Sunday at Ciudad.
Let it be known that tapas are loathed by my father and mistrusted by my mother, both feeling there’s never enough food to leave them truly sated. Needless to say, they were less than pleased as we took our seats in the warm, cubism-inspired dining room. The waitress was sweet and helpful, offering several suggestions and personal favorites from an extensive list of choices.
The first to arrive was a small bowl of delicate Sautéed Clams, Diced Pickled Tomatoes, Miniature Purple and Yellow Fingerling Potatoes, all floating in a Salsa Verde Broth that was so exquisite, we placed two orders for grilled bread to sop up any lingering traces and my mother proudly licked the bowl clean in the middle of the restaurant. There’s no need for restraint when something is that unabashedly delicious.
Following closely on its heels, Goat Cheese Fritters served with Grilled Apricots, Caramelized Onions and Homemade Crackers. When all three components are piled onto an accompanying cracker, the warm, sweet, nutty, creamy combination sings in harmony like a barber shop quartet.
Butter Lettuce Salad with Toasted Almond Dressing arrived to provide a perfect clean and crunchy palate cleanser just as a plate of Crab Salad with Shaved Cucumber, Melon, and Sherry Mint Aioli was being scraped clean of all its refreshingly sweet, crunchy, rich, meatiness.
Next, a duo of Calamari battled for dominance on the table. Fried Calamari with Paprika and Garlic was a decided favorite, dodging the typical, heavy Calamari bullet that feels like it shoots you directly in the stomach after a single, greasy tentacle. Instead, this Calamari, though fried, was crackling with flavor and the back burning heat of Paprika. It was, without question, the best Calamari anyone at the table had ever had…that was, until the Sautéed Calamari with Chorizo, White Beans, and Roasted Peppers arrived demanding a third and fourth order of grilled bread to transport the buttery, winey, smoky, garlicky accompanying sauce to our mouths. Two totally different kinds of Calamari offering two very different experiences, both sending your mouth into such ecstasy, you might find yourself discreetly composing sonnets to each bite.
But before you can count the ways you love thee, dessert arrives.
The Basque Apple Tart must make the French (my former favorite apple tart provider) burn with envy as sweet slivers of apple rest atop puff pastry which has slightly caramelized along the bottom requiring a few extra, buttery, sugary tugs to procure a bite.
Espresso Dusted Churros are served with a healthy dollop of whipped cream that gets a lovely speckling of espresso, cinnamon and sugar every time you drag a still hot from the pan churro through the creamy fluffiness.
Ciudad is the Downtown outpost of everyone’s favorite Too Hot Tamales, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, champions of all flavors
(p.s. My parents had a conversion after this meal and are now major tapas, and Ciudad, fans.)
Ciudad
(213) 486-5171
Sunday Tapas:
Daily (with regular menu)-
Mon-Tues:
Wed-Thurs: 11:3oam-11pm
Fri-Sat: 5pm-midnight
If you’re talking about Latin food, you need a drink that speaks the same language…The Mojito, favored by Hemingway himself.
1 teaspoon sugar (powdered, granulated, whatever you’ve got)
1 lime, cut into wedges
4-6 mint leaves
Light Rum (2 ounces)
2 ounces club soda
1 sprig of mint
- Put sugar, mint leaves, and lime wedges into a large glass and muddle (crush and stir) gently.
- Fill with crushed ice
- Add two oz. rum (about half the glass), stir.
- Fill with soda water and garnish with a sprig of mint.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Paris, mon ami, ou La Rivaldiere est tres bonne
It’s
On a recent trip to
The restaurant is quite small with yellow walls bordered by grapes, cozy velvet banquettes, and white lace curtains covering only the bottom half of the window, like your grandmother’s might have. Homey warmth calls you from the dark street.
Inside, they’re serving up an exceptional prix fixe, three course meal that is much less expensive and far more memorable than almost any in
This cozy little gem of a restaurant seems to welcome an astonishing amount of regulars but one bite reveals why; the food is consistent, well priced, beautifully prepared and, with it’s constantly changing menu based on the best available ingredients, impossible to tire of. My only true sadness is knowing a meal that superb is 6000 miles away.
La Rivaldiere
1, rue St-Simon
7 Paris, 75007
Phone: +33 (1) 45-48-5396
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Good Eats in West Hollywood
Ice Cream Plus:
You know the old saying about never judging books? Learn that lesson, proper like, at Ice Cream Plus. The SunCrest Strip Mall at the corner of Sunset and
Ice Cream Plus
8158 W. Sunset Blvd
323.656.8332
Mon-Sat:
Sunday: Closed
Pace:
Cruising up The Canyon, cursing your phone for the lack of signal, the traffic for the lack of movement, your radio for the lack of good jams, you’re probably too distracted to notice Pace just below the Canyon Country Store. Pace, Italian for Peace, offers just that, a respite from the toil of this town. Homey, warm, and inviting, from the moment you enter, it’s as if the weight of the world has been lifted. As you nibble on roasted almonds, briny olives and warm focaccia, look to your left and watch Kirsten Dunst doodle on the table with a complimentary crayon. Yes, this is a celeb haven but that’s not the point. The point is that people doodle here. They doodle and slump and laugh too loud. It’s wonderfully unpretentious and unrestrained while the food is unmitigatedly stellar and consistently so. Their claim to fame is a cedar wood grilled salmon dressed with shallots and herbs accompanied by two sides of your choice (green beans and roasted root vegetables are a killer combo). I moaned a little at the greatness offered in a bite composed of sweet roasted carrot with the snap of a lemony green bean and the robust, rich fire of the salmon. Despite LA’s code red terror level about carb loading, the pizzas and pastas are not only phenomenal, they’re popular (folks just let that hair down here)! Rigatoni with organic chicken and roasted eggplant in a spicy tomato sauce is an impeccable fall dish filled with comforting flavors that weren’t heavy, just addictive. In a city that demands so much, don’t we all deserve a little Pace?
Pace
2100 Laurel Canyon Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90046
323.654.8583
Daily:
Put it in Your Mouth!!! The Best (and Worst) Restaurants of 2007
Another year has come and gone and it almost makes one misty. Sing it out with me in honor of 2007…
So let’s join in just one last chorus
Visitors, staff and guests.
What we've shared won't be forgotten
Good food is the best!
Join hands and hearts and voices
Voices, hearts and hands…
You know the rest.
As ’07 gives way to ’08 (election time, here we come!), it’s time for a “Best Of” List to honor what made this year grand. Drum roll please….
The Best Restaurants of 2007:
1. Best Newcomer-Larkin’s (Eagle Rock):
Several months ago I had the supreme good fortune of being invited to a friends and family tasting at Larkin’s, the little haute soul food dynamo that could. One bite of Larkin’s catfish with its thick, crunchy crust forked up with a mouthful of blisteringly spicy greens and stewed tomatoes and any fool can see that Larkin’s is a restaurant for the ages. It should come as no surprise that Jonathan Gold, Pulitzer Prize winning food writer for LA Weekly, has taken this Eagle Rock gem under his wing and is singing its praises to high heaven just like everyone else who gets a bite of their black eyed pea caviar, salmon cakes, fried chicken or sweet potato pie. Juice up the tank and git ‘er done, there isn’t a single miss on the menu! Larkin’s is bringing soul, fire, grace and gumption back into the kitchen.
Original review: http://www.la2day.com/dining/slap_your_grandma_good
2. Best Meal After a Nine Month Wait-Pizzeria Mozza (
I tried to hold a grudge but it was simply too exquisite to condemn. Pizzeria Mozza, despite the death grip they maintain over the reservation book, is divinity incarnate. As heavenly as earth can hold, the dough seems like it is kneaded by angels while cherubs fling about toppings and a finger to inspire Michelangelo nudges each perfect pie into the wood burning stove. At least, that’s what I can remember. My first and last meal there (to date) was
Original review: http://www.la2day.com/dining/pizzeria_mozza_pizza_of_troy
3. Best Five Bucks You Can Spend on Your Mouth-Best Fish Tacos in
The name is long, the menu short, the prices low and the addiction level through the roof. It’s a Pringles situation at this spare little taco shack, very Godfather; just when you thought that you were out they pull you back in! Why fight it? There’s no use being pugnacious with anything so yummy. Rather than being a culinary dilettante, proprietor Joseph and his taco making minions have decided to do one thing and do it exceedingly well, offering only fish or shrimp tacos, both of which are finger-sucking, salsa-shrapnel-flying, don’t-get-close-or-I’ll-eat-yours-too delicious. Let them make you an offer you can’t refuse…and then top it with crema and cabbage.
Original review: http://www.la2day.com/dining/best_fish_taco_in_ensenada_and_los_feliz
To be fair and insure we have some yin to balance our yang, the worst meal must be mentioned as well. This year, that devious honor goes to….
The Worst-Mo’s (
There are meals that live in infamy, never to be forgotten, or forgiven. Mo’s has a reputation for exceptional burgers and I take heavy exception! After a trip to Mo’s earlier this year, I ended up in a state of gastric distress that is unmentionable in a food section. It was a three day extravaganza that would’ve made Montezuma blush. Details can be left to the imagination but, needless to say, it was vicious and a turkey burger with grilled onions and sautéed mushrooms will never look the same. Buyer beware!!!
DON’T GO HERE:
Mo’s
4301
And thus, we bring the year that was to a close. Thank you to everyone who came along on our culinary adventures in 2007. Wishing you a wonderful New Year filled with luck, love and even more scrumptious food. Like we said in 6th grade: See you next year, KIT!
What other recipe could we end the year with than the most functional? Here’s how to make a Bloody Mary when you wake up on
Bloody Mary
Serves One Hangover
Ingredients:
1½ oz. Good Vodka (Ketel, Grey Goose, treat yourself right today)
Juice of ½ a lemon or lime
Worcestershire sauce to taste (1-3 dashes usually)
Tabasco sauce to taste (2-4 drops usually)
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
8 ounces tomato juice, chilled
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Celery sticks and lemon or lime slices (optional for garnish)
- Combine all ingredients except garnish in a large shaker.
- Shake mixture well and strain into a tall glass filled with ice cubes.
- Garnish with celery sticks, lemon or lime slices (if using).
- Gulp down two aspirin and a few Pepto tablets with first sips.
- Curl up on the couch with a good DVD or the Rose Bowl Game (Go USC!!!!)
- Enjoy the New Year!!!!
Tell Men’s Health to Suck an Egg, Chipotle is the Best Burrito Ever Made!
You know what, Men's Health? You can kiss my ass! How dare you peel back the caloric curtain once a year and demolish my ignorantly blissful thoughts about what I’ve been consuming? Why create a list of the 20 Worst Foods in
Perhaps you’re just jealous, Men’s Health, because you never thought to create a burrito the size of a newborn baby wrapped in a tortilla blanket that cradles the mother lode of all fillings. I remember the first time I ever went to Chipotle (it was the one on
Let’s take a walk through the process that brings me (and many others) so much joy.
We begin with a 13 inch flour tortilla toasted to a warm fluffiness.
A heaping mound of basmati rice begins the festivities as it jumps on board glittering with flecks of cilantro and the zip of fresh lime juice.
But black beans want to party too so they hustle on in bringing their cumin and garlic with them.
Chargrilled chicken, marinated overnight in ancho chiles, hatch marked with fire and smoky good, follows in hot pursuit.
Next, the salsa bar beckons. Pico de gallo, made with fresh tomatoes, red onion and jalapeño is mandatory but the secret winner in the Chipotle stable is their grilled corn salsa that offers sweet fire in a way no other salsa can. A little of the psychotically hot stuff in a container on the side to be added at will and we’re on to the final ingredient, fresh romaine lettuce.
No need for cheese and sour cream, your burrito is packing enough power already and, sadly, the cheese tends to stay unmelted and somewhat unappealing. A bit of Chipotle’s stellar guacamole on the side doesn’t hurt but isn’t essential. It is, however, some of the best guacamole in town. Made fresh several times a day, this guac is simple and tomato free, just avocado, cilantro, lime, chile and onion, with each bite offering large chunks of Haas avocado, none of that squishy, runny paste you find in some places.
I know people like to bash Chipotle because they were part of the McDonald’s Corporation but Mickey D’s fully divested in October of 2006. Chipotle takes pride in serving food with integrity, following humane animal treatment guidelines, creating environmentally responsible locations, and supporting local farmers but, best of all, they make a two-hands, five-napkin burrito experience that is heavenly. Chipotle offers other exceptional options like their slow braised barbacoa; heady with oregano and adobo, or the pinto beans made with bacon to lend a meaty, smokiness, but the thing that keeps me coming back time and again is the Chicken Burrito that was so maligned by Men’s Health this month. As Isaac Hayes once sang, if loving you is wrong, I don’t wanna be right…or thin.
Chipotle
Numerous Locations
Dream Crushers : http://menshealth.com/20worst/
There are fan sites dedicated to Chipotle and they offer recipes from the chain. Here is the official Chipotlefan.com guacamole recipe:
Chipotle's Guacamole Recipe
Ingredients:
1 large ripe Hass avocado, pitted and peeled
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 Serrano chili, seeded and chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Mash up avocado with a fork or electric mixer.
2. Add lime juice.
3. Add all other ingredients and blend well.
4. Serve with tortilla chips.
Best Fish Tacos in Ensenada AND Los Feliz
When food is delicious, it makes people happy. When delicious food is cheap, people come in droves. When cheap, delicious food is served next to a condiment bar that allows you to orchestrate a bite that will make your mouth do cart wheels and triple salchows, people become psychotically devoted. Or, at least, I do...especially the psychotic part. Tonight, after flying cross country and being awake for over 22 hours, I drove to Los Feliz on a mission! I needed something that has been camping on my brain since my first taste two weeks ago…the tacos at The Best Fish Taco in
Like a thief in the night, this unassuming little culinary treasure crept in over the summer without fanfare or pretense. Owned by Joseph Cordova, a charming man with a soft spot for the Baja peninsula, this is the taco shack that love built. Check out the furnishings he personally brought in from south of the border or watch the way he reverently lays a piece of battered fish into the bubbling cauldron of oil, you can see this gentleman truly cares. And everyone knows that food made happily and with affection tastes better.
It’s that same jubilant ministration that is in full effect at the salsa bar. Birthed from Joseph’s imagination, you will find a number of outstanding and innovative creations like a spicy Pineapple concoction that is spectacular or a Mango salsa that had to be constantly replenished during one visit as worshippers ladled heaping piles over fresh flaky fish and plump shrimp. From a spicy Avocado number to the classic Crema and shredded Cabbage, the cornucopia of choices is both daunting and inspiring. So many flavors…so little time.
Make the time, damn it! It’ll be well worth it. Besides, at only $1.50 (Fish) to $2 (Shrimp) per taco and $1 for a drink, it’s not like it’ll put a crimp in your budget. You may be staring out at a body shop and listening to the whiz of cars flying up and down Hillhurst but take a bite and be transported to a place with white sand, lapping crystal clear water and the flavor of fish that was swimming under an hour ago. Settle in to one of several outdoor plastic picnic tables and enjoy the essence of an
Best Fish Tacos in
Cash Only (so come prepared)
11am-they run out of fish (about
Closed Monday
If we’re heading down a’Mexico way, we can’t leave without dessert and there is nothing better than a fresh-from-the-oil Churro (all you Flan people can just settle down). We’re going for the gusto today! Bust out the Fry Daddy and let’s show the world why fat and sugar are the two best food groups.
Churros
Four servings
Ingredients-
Vegetable Oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Lemon, zested
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1. Prepare to fry the churros by heating oil in a large heavy bottomed frying pan (or deep fat fryer) to 350 degrees.
2. Heat water, butter, salt and lemon zest to a rolling boil in a large saucepan. Over low heat, stir in flour until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
3. Beat in eggs. Continue beating until smooth.
4. In a large shallow container, mix sugar and cinnamon.
5. Spoon churro batter into a cake decorators' tube or bag fitted with a large star tip.
6. Using equal pressure, carefully squeeze 4-inch strips of dough into the hot oil.
7. Fry 3 or 4 strips at a time until golden brown, turning as needed to maintain even cooking and color.
8. Drain on paper towels slightly before rolling in cinnamon sugar.
9. Enjoy!
If fried dough rolled in cinnamon sugar to top off fried fish tacos weren’t enough, whip up this chocolate dipping sauce to accompany the churros. Hey, if you’re gonna go, go big!
Ingredients-
4oz dark chocolate, chopped
2 cups milk
1 tbsp cornstarch
4 tbsp sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1. In a small sauce pan, heat milk over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. You do not want to boil the milk, just raise the temperature to a simmer. Reduce heat to low.
2. Place one cup of the warmed milk in a small bowl. Add cornstarch, sugar, and cinnamon, stirring until they dissolve.
3. Add chopped chocolate to remaining milk in saucepan and whisk until smooth.
4. Add milk-cornstarch mixture to the chocolate and whisk until smooth and thick, about 5 minutes.
5. Serve warm alongside Churros.
Good Eats in Venice
The
Is there anything better than a Panini? Except for those rare occasions when the bread cuts the roof of your mouth, the combination of hot grilled bread, melting cheese and heated interior accoutrements is simply sublime. So what happens when you combine glorious panini, crepes chockful of Nutella, and a charming patio complete with tinkling fountain and nesting sparrows? The magic of The Panini Garden, a quaint little railroad car sized offering of a restaurant that has grown steadily over the past decade to become a
The
(310) 399-9939
Mon-Thu, Sun:
Fri-Sat:
Axe:
Please don’t call it “Ax”, it’s “Ah-shay”, baby. Schmancy pronunciations aside, Axe offers simple, seasonal organic fare in stark, hyper industrial surroundings. The service is notoriously slow, but just think how long it took to grow that Heirloom Lettuce Salad you’re eating or to bake your Chocolate Brownie Pudding. Sit back, relax, check for star sightings (fairly regular around here), and enjoy the anticipation. When your farmer’s market fresh selections arrive, it’ll be well worth the wait.
Axe
(310) 664-9787
Tue-Thu:
Fri:
Sat:
Sun:
C & O Trattoria:
Gluttons rejoice! Whether it’s the insanely delicious garlic knots that come pre-meal, the “That’s Amore” sing-a-longs, or the on-your-honor wine system, C & O is all about the big time good time! Bring some friends, all the better to clink glasses with while you’re belting out the Dean Martin, and a hearty appetite because the servings here can only be described as Ginormous and the food, addictive. The Cappelini with Shrimp, Artichoke Hearts, and Sundried Tomatoes in a garlic-butter-white wine sauce has had me coming back for over a decade. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, C & O has a monkey for everyone’s back. Settle into the charmingly kitschy outdoor faux Italian palazzo and get ready to discover your new jones. Don’t be ashamed. The first step is admitting your powerless over the deliciousness…and digging in anyway! That IS Amore!!!!
C & O Trattoria
(310) 823-9491
www.cotrattoria.com
Mon-Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Good Eats In Silverlake
Welcome to a Culinary trip down Sunset Boulevard, Friends. Come eat with me!
If you’re looking to start your day with fantastic service, a great cup of coffee and the kind of pastry that makes your gym membership worth having, then you need to head to Café Tropical. Whisper the words to most Eastsiders and all you hear is moans. That’s because they’re fantasizing about the guava-cheese pie, a tart layered between croissant like bread with cream cheese and guava paste, or the massive and delicious peanut butter cookies (a steal at $1.00), or a lunch of classic Cuban pressed sandwiches; ham or turkey, cheese and pickles all pressed together and grilled to buttery, gooey goodness.
Not in the mood for a pastry? Pho-getaboutit. There’s no better Pho in the city than at Pho Café, just across the street from Café Tropical. There’s no sign, so look for the super mod little shop with glowing globe lights, clean white walls, and shockingly orange furniture (it’s mod…what do ya want?). Inside, you’ll find unbeatable steaming bowls of classic Pho in either beef or chicken broth. It’s like Vietnamese Campbell’s but way better. Mmmm Mmmm Good!
A little further west is El Payita Siete Mares, a restaurant I was told to go to by a friend from
For the timid souls who like candlelight and tickling Christmas lights with their seafood, Café Stella is an instant transport to
If a fish craving is still swimming in your bloodstream, Koda Sushi is a breaststroke away. A daring and innovative menu makes this dining experience flavorful and memorable. One signature combination is the Culture Shock: eel with white chocolate, slivered almonds, and eel sauce. Who woulda thunk it? It’s phenomenal.
As are the pumpkin ravioli at Cliffs Edge, another hidden treasure with one of the coziest garden patios in Silverlake. The best way to know if you’ve arrived in the right place is to look for the 99 Cent Store, just north is the entrance to this little gem where prosciutto and wild mushroom crepes and toasted brioche with sautéed fresh figs and honey await you.
If you haven’t eaten yourself into a coma yet, here are two last words: Pazzo Gelato. Just go. You’ll know why within one lick.
Silverlake Eating Guide:
Café Tropical
2900 W Sunset Blvd
Mon-Fri:
Sat-Sun:
Pho Café
2841 W Sunset Blvd
Daily:
El Payita Siete Mares
3131/3143 Sunset Blvd
Daily:
Café Stella
3932 Sunset Blvd
Tue-Sat:
Koda Sushi
3719 Sunset Blvd
Tue:
Wed-Thur and Sun
Fri-Sat:
Cliff’s Edge
3626 Sunset Blvd
Mon-Sat:
Pazzo Gelato
3827 W Sunset Blvd
Tue.-Sat:
Sun:
They may not be the cookies from Café Tropical but these bars are amazing. They take the after school snack of champions to a whole new level!
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars:
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 Crisco butter flavor stick or butter flavor shortening, plus additional for greasing
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1/3 cups water
1 cup strawberry or raspberry preserves
1. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch cake pan. Line it with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.
2. With a hand or electric mixer on high, cream butter flavored shortening (ewwww…but yummmm) and sugar on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined.
3. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With your mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.
4. Press 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread over the bottom with a knife or offset spatula. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small spoonfuls of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don't worry if all the jam isn't covered; it will spread in the oven. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.
5. Enjoy!
Good Eats in Hollywood
Skooby’s-
Who wants a Skooby Snack? I do! I do!!! The follow these clues: The White Stripes at play, all through the day. A guitar you hear, the first bite, you cheer. Garlic fries, fresh as a daisy.
Bowery:
You’d think you were just a subway stop away from
Skooby’s
Mon-Sun:
Bowery
6268 Sunset Blvd
Mon-Fri
Sat-Sun
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